Recaps happening because this trip out West is basically on my own turf. Different Time Zone, different Political War Zone, different feelings about Nancy Pelosi, but none-the-less it’s in my area and there are many Wings fans without the privelege of showing up to work the next morning still drunk because they were up all night watching hockey. I do this for you, readers, a thousand times over. Here’s my recap:

FIRST PERIODSeems to be a typical road period. Nothing spectacular from the Wings, just getting their legs going. Not a lot of room given up by the Ducks out there. Jimmy looking pretty good, neutral zone passing a bit off, typical Bert penalty in the offensive zone, typical Lilja penalty in the neutral zone (being a clumsy oaf).17 minute mark and we get a 2-Man Advantage. Oh boy, can’t wait to see how we bollocks that one up!You gotta be sh*tting me…broken sticks screw this one up for us? Ughghghgh….our 5-on-3’s are becoming the bane of my existence. 8 shots for Anaheim, Detroit with 3 and 0 shots on 4 PP’s, including 1:30 of a 2 man advantage. Pretty damn un-Red Wing-like. Efforts like that lead to getting booed on home ice.If you’re like most Wings fans I know, you’ll say it was a “pathetic” effort. I’ll just choose to use the term “uninspired” and “unorganized,” and I’ll further defend the unorganized bit by saying it’s tough to get organized when half the period is being played on specialty teams.

SECOND PERIODHighlights of the epic Datsyuk/Perry fight leads to a fun fact that Pavel Datsyuk was given a signed puck form Gordie Howe to honour his Gordie Howe hat-trick from that game. Ken Daniels said he took it home with him and placed it front and center of his trophies. What a guy, that Pavel.Datsyuk finally makes a PP count with a beauty from the legendary “Shanny Post”, banking it in from below the goal line off of the goalie. Whatever it takes, 1-0 Wings.As probably the most staunch Ericsson supporter I know, I will admit his hesitation to back out of an offensive zone pinch leading to a 2-on-1 and a near goal by Bobby Ryan was incredulous. Stupid. Lebdaesque.Know when you’re a kid and you play team sports but nobody ever passes to you? And you feel self-conscious about maybe they’re not passing it to you because they think you suck? So you try really hard not to suck the next time you touch the puck but you’re so worried about it that you totally f*** it up? Then nobody ever looks you in the eye nor talks directly to you nor passes it to you ever again? Yeah, pretty much why nobody looks for Ruslan Salei when they’re in the offensive zone.

THIRD PERIODPretty lame start, Wings look like they’re playing not-to-lose, and this of course leads to an Anaheim goal. But something about it, seems like it was a softy, especially since Howie had been so strong, to give up a blue-line range goal on a wrister was pretty surprising. 1-1.Late PP yields no real great chances, but an illegal change leads to a Detroit power play. I’m writing “power play” in the hopes that this improves our power play.

OVERTIMEBegins with a 4-on-3 power play. Wings of course bollocks it up and no good comes of it.Moments later Ruslan Salei is caught not moving his skates as Brad Stuart goes for a change, so Bobby Ryan takes a long pass cleanly into the zone for a breakaway on Jimmy Howard, Salei hooks him and a Penalty Shot is called. Ryan buries it (how is Howard so good in Shootouts but not nearly as good in penalty shots?). Game over, 2-1 Schmucks. Howard is clearly pissed at the end of the game and he’s got good reason to be. He deserved a W after about 50 minutes.

No real final thoughts, the Wings played very “meh” and deserved the 1 point they got. I would hope for better for Jimmah(!), because he was so stellar early, but his one goal he let in was soft and his defense failed him 2-too-many times, so we lose this as a team, poor Jimmah(!).